Developments in 3D Printing
A Sector by Sector Overview
This report explores developments in 3D printing across several sectors and categories for the half-year period of June 2021–December 2021.
Construction & Infrastructure
World's first 3D-printed steel bridge opens in Amsterdam (July 15)
The world's first 3-D printed steel bridge, made of 4,500 kilograms of stainless-steel, opened in Amsterdam. The 12-metre-long MX3D Bridge was built by four commercially available industrial robots using welding torches to accumulate the structure of the bridge layer by layer and took six months to print. The attached sensors will be recording the strain, movement, vibration, and temperature across the bridge and the sensors will be fed into digital model for engineers to study the properties and apply machine learning to identify trends.
3D printing to help build UK's new high-speed HS2 rail link from 2022 (August 3)
The contractors behind the London terminal of the UK's upcoming High Speed 2 (HS2) rail network plan to start using 3D printing in 2022. The project HS2 will focus on preparing concrete slabs on-site along with the trial applications of graphene infused concrete for quick and sustainable approach.
3D printing soon be seen in Dubai's construction sector (August 5)
Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed issued a decree in 2021 to regulate the use of 3D printing in the construction sector in Dubai. The decree aims to build 25% of buildings using 3D printing by 2030. It will also promote Dubai as a regional and global hub for 3D printing technology.
Asia-Pacific to be the fastest growing 3D printing region (August 17)
The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is expected to become the fastest-growing market for 3D printing in construction, according to a report by P&S Intelligence. The research found that this is primarily due to an increase in construction companies using the technology in their projects. The report also revealed that the region is rapidly becoming a global manufacturing hub due to the construction of numerous industrial and residential buildings, which is massively boosting the popularity of 3D printing technology. The research also identified Japan and China as the two major countries that are increasingly adopting 3D printing.
World's largest community of 3D-printed homes to enter Texas (November 4)
A new property development project in collaboration between Lennar and ICON and codesigned by the Bjarke Ingels Group is set to start in Austin, Texas. The project comprises of 100 single-story houses "printed" on-site using five of ICON's 46-foot-wide robotic "Vulcan" printers, which pipe out a concrete mix called Lavacrete. As per the firms, each house will take around a week to complete. The cost of the project has not been disclosed.
LafargeHolcim, CDC Group JV to build largest 3D printed affordable housing project in Kenya (December 6)
14Trees, a joint venture between building materials specialist LafargeHolcim and CDC Group, the UK's publicly owned impact investor, is building Africa's largest 3D printed affordable housing project in Kenya. The 52-house community will be located in Kilifi town, north of Mombasa, and will be part of the Green Heart of Kenya regenerative ecosystem. 14Trees has been supporting Africa's construction sector and develops 3D printing technology across the continent. 14Trees' 3D printing construction project utilizes Holcim's proprietary ink, TectorPrint, combined with a BOD2 robotic 3D construction printer provided by Danish 3D printing construction firm COBOD.
Manufacturing
Dewa unveils 3-D printed lab in the UAE (August 4)
The government of Dubai opened the world's first 3D printed research lab, and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's (DEWA) facility will be used for designing and creating the rovers, drones, 3D printing spares and prototypes. Along with the printing activities, DEWA will install a Metal X systems for efficient and productive gains. Through this project, the Dubai Government aims to enhance the 3D printing sector.
Stratasys becomes founding partner of Nfrontier's New Emerging Technologies Center (August 26)
The new Emerging Technologies Center in Berlin will focus on preparing hardware and software applications for clients. In addition, the center will merge the 'Eight Emerging Technologies' i.e., IoT, AI, Additive Manufacturing, Extended Reality, Robotics, Drones, Quantum Computing, and Generative Design at one place. Stratasys will provide 3D printers using FDM, PolyJet and P3 Programmable Photopolymerization technologies.
Laser beam to improve metal 3D printing (September 22)
Traditional laser beam in metal 3D printing can produce defects and poor mechanical performance. Hence, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory studied optical beam shapes known as Bessel beams and found that Bessel beams can reduce the issues of laser powder bed fusion technique because these beams drastically enhance the laser scan parameter space compared to traditional beam shapes.
Adapted 3D printing technique produces partially magnetic objects (October 26)
Russia's Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, with a consortium, developed a process known as directed energy deposition, in which a heat source such as a laser is used to melt metal powder as it's being dispensed from a nozzle. This new technology permits the printing of single objects with gradient magnetic qualities.
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